Verdict
Our Verdict on the M.S.
The University of Arizona's online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business is worth a look if you want a business-flavored AI degree in 12 months and you're open to a higher price. It's 30 credits at $1,250 per credit, which comes to $37,500. Its draw is the Eller College of Management setting.
This degree sits in the Eller College of Management, not a computer science department, and the program page highlights 35 years of AI leadership through the Eller MIS AI Lab. That framing tells you what you're buying: AI strategy, governance and business applications, not a heavy engineering curriculum.
It's a 12-month, fully online program. Admission is open to bachelor's holders in any field, which makes it one of the more accessible master's paths for career changers, though the entry requirements still ask for some preparation.
Online
The Online Format
The program is fully online and designed to finish in 12 months. That pace implies a steady course load throughout the year, so it fits a full-time student or a professional who can reduce other commitments.
Ask directly whether classes are live or asynchronous. Also ask how often the program starts a new cohort, since a 12-month timeline only works if you can begin when you're ready.
- Time to Finish
- 12 months
Source: online.arizona.edu (format and schedule), verified September 30, 2026
Fit
Who Should Apply, and Who Should Not
Who It Fits
- You work in business, management or information systems and want to lead AI projects, not write the models yourself.
- You're changing careers. A bachelor's degree in any field qualifies you to apply.
- You want a fast finish. The program is built as a 12-month, fully online path.
- You want a recognized public university with a management school behind the degree.
Who Should Skip It
- You want the lowest price. At $37,500 for 30 credits, this costs far more than some online AI master's programs on our list.
- You want a deeply technical engineering degree. This one leans toward business use of AI.
- You don't meet the admission requirements and don't want to prepare for them. The program asks for a 3.0 GPA, an entry test and six credit hours of business coursework.
Curriculum
What You Will Study
The degree requires 30 credit hours. Courses listed on the program page include MIS 545: Data Mining and Machine Learning, Introduction to Deep Learning, Policy and Ethics of AI for Business, AI for Cybersecurity, Generative AI for Business and Big Data Technologies.
That mix puts technical topics next to policy and business ones. You'll touch machine learning and deep learning, but the program's strength is applying AI inside an organization. Ask to see the full course sequence and which classes are required versus elective.
Courses the School Names
- Data Mining and Machine Learning
- Introduction to Deep Learning
- Policy and Ethics of AI for Business
- AI for Cybersecurity
- Generative AI for Business
- Big Data Technologies
Standout Features
- Anchored by the top-ranked Management Information Systems department in the Eller College of Management
- Courses on AI ethics, policy and governance alongside machine learning and generative AI
- Hands-on projects building solutions to organizational challenges
- Housed in the Eller College of Management, with 35 years of AI leadership through the Eller MIS AI Lab
- Labs and Partnerships
- Named in the school's program materials
Source: online.arizona.edu (curriculum and experience), verified September 30, 2026
Cost
How Much It Costs at $1,250 a Credit
Arizona lists a flat $1,250 per credit. Over 30 credits, the tuition comes to $37,500. That is a high price for a 12-month degree, so weigh it against the Eller name.
The flat rate is easy to plan around. Ask about fees beyond tuition, and ask whether the six credit hours of business or foundational coursework required for admission would be an added cost if you need to take them first.
30 credits at $1,250 a credit comes to $37,500 in tuition, before fees.
- Cost per Credit
- $1,250 per credit
- Credits Required
- 30 credits
- Estimated Tuition
- $37,500
- Military Benefits
- Accepts the Post-9/11 GI Bill including the Yellow Ribbon Program; the $250-per-credit Tuition Assistance rate applies to undergraduate programs only, not graduate degrees.
- Fees and Notes
- Flat $1,250 per credit as listed in the program quick facts.
Source: online.arizona.edu (cost and aid), verified September 30, 2026
Admissions
Admission Requirements
- Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in any field; minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; entry test covering statistics, Python and SQL; six credit hours of business or foundational business coursework.
Sources: online.arizona.edu (admissions and transfer), online.arizona.edu (admissions and transfer), verified September 30, 2026
Credentials
Accreditation and Where It Leads
You earn a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business from the University of Arizona, a public university. Federal IPEDS data lists about 56,365 students, an 86% admit rate and a 68% overall graduation rate.
Admission requires a bachelor's degree in any field, a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, an entry test covering statistics, Python and SQL, and six credit hours of business or foundational business coursework. This is an academic credential. Our wage data lists a field median of $137,740, which isn't a program outcome.
Where this degree can lead: Data Scientist Jobs, Jobs You Can Get With an AI Degree.
Score
Where It Loses Points
Each factor is scored 0 to 10 against other online master's programs. The weights are the same for every program, and the overall score is relative to the top online master's program, which scores 100.
Online Program Score 53.3 / 100
Darker bars mean stronger factor scores. Every bar also shows its number.
The full rubric is on the methodology page.
Trade-Offs
Drawbacks to Weigh
- At $37,500 for 30 credits, it is a high price for an online AI master's.
- The entry requirements are real work if you come from outside business or tech: a 3.0 GPA, a test covering statistics, Python and SQL, and six credit hours of business coursework.
- A 12-month pace is demanding. Ask how much weekly time each course expects.
- It's a business AI degree, so it covers less engineering depth than a computer science master's.
Before You Apply
Questions to Ask University of Arizona Before You Apply
- How is the entry test scored, and can I prepare for the statistics, Python and SQL sections?
- If I lack six credit hours of business coursework, where can I take them and what do they cost?
- How many hours per week should I expect across a 12-month schedule?
- Are classes live or asynchronous, and when does the next cohort start?
- What fees come on top of the $1,250 per credit tuition?
- How do graduates use the degree in roles outside of data science, and what career support does Eller offer online students?
School
About University of Arizona
- Degree
- M.S., Master's
- School
- University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- Institution Type
- Public
- Delivery
- Fully Online
Source: online.arizona.edu (program and school), verified September 30, 2026
- Graduation Rate
- 68%
- Admit Rate
- 86%
- Total Enrollment
- 56,365
- Master's Completions a Year in This Field
- 68
- Campus Setting
- City
Source: nces.ed.gov (school data from ipeds), verified September 30, 2026
Rankings
Rankings This Program Appears In
Rank is the program's position among the online programs on that list at its degree level.
- Best Online AI Degrees Rank 41 of 49, master's
- Best Online Master's Programs Rank 41 of 49, master's
- AI for Business and Management Rank 10 of 12, master's
- Accelerated Online Programs Rank 9 of 14, master's
- Best for Career Changers Rank 7 of 8, master's
- 100% Online Programs Rank 40 of 46, master's
- Public University Programs Rank 16 of 21, master's
- Best Online Programs in Arizona Rank 2 of 2, master's
Compare
Online Master's Programs With Similar Scores
Other online master's programs with the closest scores.
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Online Master of Science in Computer Science, AI and Machine Learning
-
Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (online)
-
Master of Health Science in Medical Artificial Intelligence
-
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Master of Engineering in AI with Science and Engineering Applications
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of Arizona's Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business a Good Program?
It ranks #41 of 49 online master's programs in our 2026 rankings, because it is fully online, but at $1,250 per credit it costs more than 18 of 24 other online master's programs we rank.
How Much Does the Arizona AI for Business Master's Cost?
How Long Does the Program Take?
What Are the Admission Requirements?
How Does Its Price Compare?
Sources
- University of Arizona's Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence for Business page
- Delivery: fully-online; Duration: 12 months
- Cost per credit: $1,250; Cost notes: Flat $1,250 per credit as listed in the program quick facts.; Credits: 30; Admissions: Bachelor's degree in any field; minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; entry test...
- Notable courses: Data Mining and Machine Learning; Introduction to Deep Learning; Policy and...
- Standout feature: Anchored by the top-ranked Management Information Systems department in the...
- Standout feature: Courses on AI ethics, policy and governance alongside machine learning and...
- Standout feature: Hands-on projects building solutions to organizational challenges
- Standout feature: Housed in the Eller College of Management, with 35 years of AI leadership...
- Military benefits: Accepts the Post-9/11 GI Bill including the Yellow Ribbon Program; the...
- IPEDS Data Center
All sources retrieved .